The Difference Between
by dabih
Summary: One was treated like a king and the other like a princess. Someday, they would meet, and fall hopelessly in love. Someday, they would have a child and, another day, they would die like heroes. For now, they were eager children, dancing around in their separate palaces.


**Disclaimer:** Characters and world belong to J.K. Rowling.

**Summary:** One was treated like a king and the other like a princess. Someday, they would meet, and fall hopelessly in love. Someday, they would have a child and, another day, they would die like heroes. For now, they were eager children, dancing around in their separate palaces.

* * *

**The Difference Between**

* * *

"_Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age. The child is grown, and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies." _

― Edna St. Vincent Millay

* * *

Lily Marie Evans was born on January 30th, 1960, to two young, Muggle parents.

James Charlus Potter was born on March 27th, 1960, to two older, magical parents.

* * *

Lily was bouncing bundle of joy at two years of age. The world to be seemed at her disposal and the mysteries of the universe were always solvable with a smile. Everyone adored her, even her sister, before she realized she was supposed to envy her. Her laugh was an enchanting little giggle and her grin was a little, slanted thing. Already, she had a mischievous streak.

Sure, her mother didn't understand how things appeared to just happen for her Lily. Food Lily didn't want to eat vanished into the crevasses of the house. Once, Lily just had to wear her favorite shoes. Somehow, they ended up in her hands, even though they were across the room. Another time, she fell from on top the counter and she glided gently to the ground. All the laws of physics _bended_ for the girl.

Her parents just dismissed the instances with logic, for, obviously, such things were impossible.

Lily had a funny way of making people fall in love with her. As parents should, they did. Maybe they had fallen a little too hard for the rosy-cheeked toddler and her curly red locks of hair. It seemed they favored her to most. It certainly felt that way to their first child, who would spend hours in her room crying, before Lily found a way to come and cheer her up with her babbled words. Even her babyish prattling was charming, pieced with her little smile on tiny pink lips.

* * *

James was made of only grins and twinkling hazel eyes. No one was spared once they met him. He would never stop laughing, at even the least amusing of things. Doted upon by all, he understood that he was pretty invincible, even at his age of two.

He was already a playful child and always loved a game. Magic was fascinating to him, and he spent a majority of his time trying it. At the end of each day with his nanny, he would have whole spiels ready for his parents, though it was usually burble about the same adventure over and over again, expressed with excited giggles and openmouthed grins.

His parents, busy as they were, tried to spend as much time with him as possible, because they had all their hearts to give to him, and would. Their friends and colleagues, too, found the boy perfect, with his juvenile words and fresh face.

No other children, though, had ever been introduced to him. His best friends were a stuffed animal and a house-elf – a peculiar mix, but it suited him.

* * *

At five years old, Lily had just started going to primary school. She gained friends almost too quickly, with which she wreaked havoc around the playground. Many times the teacher was forced to call her parents for the trouble she caused. After a while, they starting calling her a freak, something she would take to heart.

Her sister would try to protect her, though Lily could tell she was a little distrustful as well. That was just what sisters did.

Lily continued to learn more about what she could do. The accidents quickly stopped being just accidents and, in her excitement, she forgot to conceal them. Her parents began to worry. They told her not to, but Lily had never been one to listen to anyone but herself.

* * *

Boredom consumed most of the young James' time at five years of age. He wanted someone to play with, but his parents were not always there and his governess quickly became more interested in teaching him rather than joking around with him. Without his consent, he acquired an abundance of tutors to teach him how to read and write. He excelled at both, but he hated it.

Bouts of accident magic came more often, as something to look forward to. His parents tried to compensate for their absence and, while he enjoyed this greatly, it just wasn't enough. They saw he only need friends his age, and that was one thing they couldn't give their poor, spoiled, miracle child.

James passed the time pretending to be older than he really was by stealing his father's glasses. He quickly became quite taken with the fanciful notion of having real, live friends. When he learned of the magic school he would someday be going to, he asked all about it eagerly, captivated by the idea of a house only for the bravest of people. The seeds of prejudice are planted rather easily, it seemed.

* * *

Lily had lived through nine winters before she made her first real friend. A boy, with an obvious penchant for sneaking around and a hate for all those inferior to him accepted her unlike anyone else ever had. She would not readily give that up.

He told her all about the world she really belonged in. She was not yet used to belonging, and was lost dreaming of such things. Inclined to believe him, she listened with growing enthusiasm about another, extraordinary life, all the while estranging her sister.

* * *

It had started subtly, the war, with quiet mutterings of disgrace and dishonor. In the year before it really started, there were only one or two disappearances. James was sent along to many pretentious balls for the wealthy and pure only, as his parents attempted to remain on everyone's good side.

He noticed things – the way everyone seemed to be whispering about something – someone.

* * *

The next year, Lily was filled to the brim with talk of a magical castle. The boy who had brought along the knowledge watched her with increasing possessiveness, so much it alarmed her parents. No one believed Lily. They thought it was just a phase – which was why they were so surprised when she received her letter upon turning eleven.

She was going to be taken from them, into a world they didn't understand. It was, understandably, terrifying.

* * *

James was ten and bursting with joy for his next coming of age. Then he would get his letter and then –

His parents requested his attention for something. Both with a large amount of influence, they had been informed of the immediate threat a new political "activist" posed. They told him the things to watch out for – the injustice brewing behind closed doors.

If his parents did it, he would do it. He would follow his idols into anything, no matter how dangerous.

* * *

September 1st, 1971, James and Lily would meet. Not too far in the future, James and Lily would fall in love. July 31st, 1980, James and Lily would have a child.

James Charlus Potter would die October 31st, 1981, to a flash of startling green light.

Lily Marie Potter would die October 31st, 1981, to a flash of startling green light.


End file.
